The Role of Communication In Jordan's Rural Development

Assumed is that media exposure as related to media content is a prerequisite to assigning a role to the media in development. A 2-part inquiry was conducted with middle East farmers: The content of radio & TV programs & daily newspaper was analyzed, & the media contribution to farmer knowledge about agriculture & political issues was assessed. 2 main questions are answered: Have the mass media established themselves as sources of information for Jordanian farmers? Is there a relationship between these farmers' mass media exposure & agricultural knowledge? The sample consisted of 334 farmers chosen at random from 23 villages. The following 6 variables were focused upon: political knowledge, agricultural knowledge, mass media exposure, contact with specialized sources of agricultural information, adoption of recommended agricultural practices, & the content of Jordanian media. The results indicate that the media are effective in promoting Jordanian farmers' knowledge of political issues & that mass media could contribute more to Ru development when broadcasting more agricultural information. 5 Tables. G. Schmeling.